Electric switch



P. H. CHASE. ELECIRIC SWITCH APPLICATION FILED MAR.1,1916.

Patented Se t. 7,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- DRIVE) P. H. CHASE. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR I. 1916. I I

' PatentedSept. 7, 1920.

FAQ. 8

. J INVENTOR Arm/v5 WITNESSES:

UNITED S ATES P TEN oFFicE.

; PHIIiIP"H. C ASE, or EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC swrmcn.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application liled March 1, 1916. serial m. 81,415.

To all whom it may mm Be it known that I PHILIP H. CHAsE, a

citizen of the United tates, and residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Electric Switch, of which the following specification is a full dis closure.

This invention relates to electric switches, andwith regard to certain more specific features, to safety devices for use in connection with manually operated disconnecting switches for high-voltage cir cuits. The

' present invention is an improvement on the of F .50

' plication of which will careless operator; the provision of improved I apparatus of the above type of .rliable action and durable under conditions of use; and the provision er a switch in which the protective features, are effective'automatically and the danger of impro er handling is reduced to a minimum. 6 will'be in part obvious and in out hereinafter. v

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of" elements and arrangements of. parts WhlCh' are to be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the apbe indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in. which of the various pos-a are shown, one or'more sible embodiments ofthls 111Ve11t10l1, f

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a switch.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modification 1g.1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the switch-of Fig. 3. I j

Fig- 5 is an end elevation of Fig.

. Fig. e is-a detail of a ther objects part pointed,

spring and its associated parts. 4 Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2, showing the inventionapplied to a singlepole, double-throw switch Fig. 8 illustrates a preferred form of hook.

' In considering the relation of this invention to the prior art, it may be noted that for sometime operated switches, especially on high-volt- '60 past the users of manually age circuits, have encountered trouble I through the failure of the operators to close the switches completely, or to open them far enou h to break any are that might form. hese switches usually comprise simply apair ofspaced and relatively insulated contact blocks on which are mounted respectively a pivoted switch-blade and a pair of jaw-clips with whichthe blade con,- tacts when-theswitch is closed. The. blade may be in one or more parts, according to the size of the switch and the reference of the designer. vIn, a double-t row switch,

there is an additional contact-block, insulated relatively to the othertwo, and providedfwith a pair of jaw-clips to receive the switch blade when the switch is in the second of There are a number of varieties of these switches, such as double and lustrations to a single-pole single-throw switch, it being'understood that many if notall of the advantageous features of the its two circuit-closing positions.

triple-pole switches,-but it will suffice for the purpose of the presentdescription', to confine the ilpresent invention are applicable to doublecations of the prior-art switching devices. Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and '2 ofthe drawings, there is illustrated atl'a base-or contact-block upon which are mountedthe usual jaw-clips 2 adapted to receive the blade '3, which'is pivotally supported upon another contact-block (not shown). The blade 3. is shown as made in' one part, and there is therefore one pairof the jaw-clips 2 cooperating therewith when the blade is in its circuit-closing position illustrated more clearly in Fig. 2. When the switch is to be opened,- the operator inserts in the aperture 7 in the blade 3 the Y nose 9ofa. hook 10 preferably of the genthrow, aiid multiple-pole, and other modifieral type illustrated in Fig. 8. The guard 18 revents' the operator from inserting the book too far into the aperture 7. The nose 9 passes readily through the large part 11 of the aperture 7, but is too large to pass through the smaller parts 12, 13 of said aperture. The operator, in order to pull the blade 3 away from the jaw-clips 2 to openthe switch, pulls in anupward direction on the hook 10; this causes the hook to enter the upper reduced portion 12 of the aperture 7. In the last position the catch 28 of the latch portion of the pivoted member 16 hooks over theupper edge 31 of the guide member 17 fixed-to the blade 3,

. 'and'the blade 3 is thus held closed against accidental displacement.

oted member 16 is thereby. swinging the member 16, and con sequently the latch 25, counter-clockwise .spring wise to its position of-rest, with the portion The coiled spring 32 tends to press the latch or lock-25 clockwise. In opening the switch, the operator pulls upward on the hook. This causes the shank 14: of the hook to enter the upper reduced portion-12 of the aperture 7, and in doing, so, the shield portion 15 of the pivforced toward the left,

against the action of the spring 32, and as a result the catch 28. shifts toward the left to a position beyondthe outer end of the edge or surface 31. and permits the operator to pull the switch bladeupward (clockwise) until the switch is entirely open. When the switch is far enough open so that the lower end of the guide 17 is above the catch 28, the coil 32 causes the lock 25 to return clock- 26 thereof against the stop surface 35 of the fixed base 19 on which the member 16 is pivotally mounted. The operator can then readily remove the hook 10 from the aperture 7. If, however, the operator attempts to remove the hook from the switch blade while thevcatch 28011 the lock-25 engages the guide 17 on the blade 3, he will be unable to do so, because the left or blanketthrough it.

ing edge 30 of the latch 25 is at this time 'to the left-of its position illustrated in Fig,

2, and partially shields or blankets the wide part 11 ofthe aperture 7 to such an extent that no part of the aperture is large enough to permit the nose 9 of the hook 10. to pass The operator is thus unable'to remove the hookfrom the switch blade throughout a predetermined range or portion of the movement of the blade, the mag- -nitude of said range depending on the verticallength of the blanketing edge 30, and

.the length of the'guide 17. This range of movement of the blade through which the protective device of the present invention is effective, may be varied to any desired extent; the protective device may be made.effective from the circuit-closing position of the blade (illustrated in Fig. 2).,to a posiin this closed position: as the This unlocks the switch 25 carrying which the blade is in contact with the jawclips 2. In closing the switch, a similar protection is afforded, in that the operator cannot remove the hook until the switch is substantially or entirely closed and is locked switch blade 3 approaches the jaw-clips 2 in closing, the beveled surface 38 of the catch 28 causes the catch to ride outwardly on the guide 17 of the blade 3,- thereby swinging the lock 25 counter-clockwise against the action of the spring 32; during the ensuing downward movement of the blade 3, the catch rides along the guide 17, causing the blanketing part 30 of the latch 25 to reduce the size of theaperture 7 sufficiently to prevent rei moval of the hook; when the switch reaches v its circuit-closing position, illustrated'in Fig. 2, the spring 32 swings the catch 28 clockwise-until said catch passes over the upper edge 31 of the guide 17 thereby locking the switch in its closed position and restoring the parts to the relative positions indicated in Fig. 2. Since the surface 30 now no longer blankets the aperture 7, the

hook may .be readily removed therefrom. v

The proportioning of parts,p'articularly the shape of the aperture-7, is illustrated somewhat conventionally, since the invention is not limited to any particular shape of said aperture, nor indeed to any specific arrangement. or disposition of parts not inconsistent with the present disclosure. The construction is illustrated in connection with a blade constructed of a single piece, but would be equally applicable to a blade constructed of two or more parts; and it may be generally stated, at this point, that many if not all of the several embodiments of the invention herein illustrated may be utilized with each of the various types of switches known in the art.

In Figs. land 2, the pivoted member 16 enters a vertical slot in the apertured extension 21 on the blade 3.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, this relative arrangement is reversed by having the apertured extension 21 on the blade enter a vertical slot in the pivoted member 16, and the lock or latch the catch 28 takes the form of a pair of upstanding ears, best shown'in Fig. 3, A preferred type of spring 32 for pressing thepivoted member clockwise about its bearing pin 27 is illustrated in Fig. 6;

The application of the invention to a double-throw switch is shown in Fig. 7; the

pivoted member -16 isEduplicated to provide a protected range of movement of the blade 3 at both ends ofits double throw or stroke.

, The pivoted member 16 may be attached at the near or hinge side of-the jaw-clips 2; instead of at the far side, as shown in Figs.- 1 to 7, in which case the guide member 17 would preferably be offset with respect-to the longitudinal axis of the blade. This arrangement Would effect a saving in size of the several parts, for a given protected angular travel of the blade 3, because the parts would be located nearer the hinge of the blade.

The guide 17, pivoted member 16,,pedestal l9 therefor, and the bearing pin 27 for'said pivoted member may'be made of any "suit able material consistent with mechanical v larger than the aperture 7, so that the hook cannot be inserted too far in saida erture.

strength and cheapness. In fact, the guide 17 may be simply a surface formed on the blade 3 itself, instead of being on a part secured to the blade, 'as in the drawings here-- with. I v

The hook 10 illustrated in Fig. 8 comprises'preferably a wooden or other insulating pole or handle40, upon which is fitted a ferrule 41, of bronze or other suitable material- This ferrule extends longitudinally 'of the handle 40 for a short distance,- and thentr'ansversely, and the transverse or lateral shank 14 of the ferrule terminates in a nose 9 somewhat larger than the shank but smaller than the aperture 7 of theswitch with-which the hook is to be used; the shank is preferably provided with a guard .18

From the above it will be seen' t at the 7 several objects of the invention are achieved,

other'advantageous results attained. As various changes might be' made in the above construction, and as the above invention might be'embodied in different forms,

contact-block, said latch comprising means,

for preventing removal of the hook during a predetermined-range of the movement of the blade.

-2.' An electricswitch combining a blade apertured'to receive a hook provided with a nose, a contact-block, contact clips mounted the blade toan extentsutficient to prevent throughout said portion.

theswitch for locking said switch in circuit thereon to -cotiperatewidth.--said"blade, and a shield mounted to rotate about a fixed pivot-and adapted to blanket said aperture throughout, a "portion of the movement of removal of the hook from said aperture 3. An electric switch combining a blade member having an aperture to receive a hook provided with 'a nose, a contact-block, clips mounted thereon tocooperate with said 7 blade, and means comprising ashield mounted to rotate about 'a' fixed pivot for preventing removal of the hook from the blade throughout a portion of the movem'entof the blade greater'than the range of movement of the blade during which the .blade contacts with saidclips.

4:. An electric switch combining a blade member. having an aperturelto receive a hook provided with a shank and a nose, fixed contact clips coeperating with said blade, and a latch mounted on a fixed portion of closing position, said latch being adapted .to blanket said aperture throughout a portion of the movement ofsaid blade to reduce said aperture to a size larger than said shank but smaller than said noseandthus prevent removal of said book from said aperture throughout said portion of the movement of the blade.

5. An electric 'switchcombining a blade member comprising two spaced parts having registering apertures to receive a hook provided with a shank and a nose, fixed contact means cooperating with said blade, and a shield pivotally mounted on a fixed portion of the switch and extending between said parts and blanketing said apertures throughout a portion of the movement of said blade to reduce said apertures to a size larger than said shank but smaller than said nose and thus pr'eventremoval of the hook from said apertures throughout saidportion of the movement of the blade. 6. An electric switch combining a blade having an aperture to receive-a hook provided. with a shank and a nose, fixed contact means cooperating with'said blade, and 1 a latch mounted on a fixed portion of the switch to lock said blade in its circuit-closing position andprovided With membersextending adjacent said blade for blanketing said aperture throughout'a portion ofthe movement of said blade to reduce said aperture to a size larger than said shank but smaller than said nose and thus prevent removal of said hook from said aperture throughout said portion of the movement of 125,,

the blade.

7. An electric switch combining a blade,

an extensionon said blade having an aperture to receive a hook provided with a shank and a nose, and having a slot, fixed contact means to means cooperating with said blade, and a latch device mounted on a fixed pivot and acting at a point adjacent said fixed contact lock the switch in circuit-closing position and extending through said slot throughout a portion of the movement of the blade and blanketing said aperture throughout a portionof the movement of the blade to an extent-sufficient to prevent removal of said hook from said aperture throughout said latter portion of the movement of the blade.

preventin 8. An electric switch combining a blade member apertiired vided with a nose, clips mounted thereon to cooperate with said blade, a latch mountedcon the contactblock and locking-said blade in its circuitb1ade,-a latch pivotally mounted on a fixed jacent said portion of the switch'for locking said blade in its circuit-closing position, and a member blanketing said aperture throughout a portion of the movement 'of the blade to an extent sufiicient to prevent removal of the hook from said aperturethroughout said portion.

10. An electric switchcombining a doublethrow blade'member having an aperture to receive a hook provided with a shank and a nose, fixed contact means cooperating with saidblade at the end of the throw of said blade, means associated with said contact means and mounted on a fixed portion of the switch for locking said blade in its circuitclosing position, means operated by the hook for releasing the locking'means and simultaneously blanketing said aperture to an ex-.

tent sufiicient to prevent the removal of the hook from said aperture, and means for retainingsaid locking means insaid blanketing position throughout a predetermined portion of the range of movement of the blade to prevent removal of the hook from said aperture throughout said portion.

-11. Anelectric switch combininga blade member having an aperture to receive a hook provided with a shank and a nose, fixed contact means cooperating with said blade, a guide mounted on the blade at a point adcontact means, means mounted on a fixed pivot and adapted to lock said blade in its circuit-closing position, and means operated by said hook for releasing said locking means and simultaneously blanketing said aperture to reduce said ap erture to a size larger than said shank but smaller than said nose and thus prevent reto receive a hook pro acontact-block, contact moval of said hook from said aperture, said guide maintaining said locking means in said blanketing position throughout a predetermined range of the movement of the blade.

12. An electric switch combining blade, .7

taneously blanket said aperture to reduce v said aperture to a size larger than said shank but'smaller than said nose and thus prevent removal: of said hook fromsaid aperture, said member maintaining said ,blanketing position throughout a predetermined range of the movement of the blade.

--13. An electric switch combining a blade having an aperture to receive a hook pro vided with a shank anda nose, fixed contact means coeperating with said blade to close a circuit, a member fixed on said blade, a"

latch pivotally mounted on said contact means and having a catch cooperating with said member to lock the blade in its circuitclosing position, means tending to maintain said latch in its locking position, and an eX- tension on said latch partially blanketing' said aperture whereby when said hook is in serted in said aperture the initial movement of the hook in the direction for opening the switch forces said catch away from said member to unlock said blade.

14. An electric switch combining, a pivoted blade having an aperture to receive a hook-provided with a shank and a nose, a fixed contact-block,,contact'clips mounted thereon to cooperate with said blade to close a circuit, a guide mounted on said blade, a latch pivotally mounted on said contactlock and having a catch cooperating with said guide to lock the blade in its circuitclosing' position, a spring tending to maintain said latch in its locking position, an extension on said.latch partially blanketing said aperture whereby when saidhook is inserted in said aperture the initial movement of the hook in the direction for opening the switch forces said catch away from said guide to unlock said blade and simultaneously blankets said aperture to an extent suiiicient to prevent removal of the hook ,from said aperture, said guide cooperating with said latch to maintain said latch in said blanketing position throughout a predetermined portion of the movement of the blade to prevent removal of the hook from said ap'erture until the blade has been moved through a predetermined angle in its circuitopening direction of movement and likewise my name as attested by the two subscribing preventing remova'of the hook from said Witnesses. aperture durin t e Closing movement of v t i v the switch pri i' to thecompletion of the PHILIP CHASE" 5 ,closing movement and the locking of the Witnesses :j

catch against theguide. YDELOS G. HAYNES. In Witness whereoflI hereunto subscribe JOHN F. RULE. 

